Learning through Travel

My 1st independent and international experience was a 1 year study abroad in Australia. I thought I was going for a school education.

The learning I experience at the University of Queensland was top notch, but it was the experiences and learning OUTSIDE the classroom that left the biggest impression and provided the most expansive learning experiences for me as a young man.

Options
When I got off the plane in Brisbane Australia in February of 1994 for my 1 year abroad, I was dropped off at a hostel to live at until I found accomodation.

As it is for many, it was a huge learning experience for me staying at this hostel for a few weeks…

My paradigm, of the world was goto school/college, graduate, get a job, and if you are lucky when you are 65, you can travel the world and have some free time. All of my role models were people who worked hard to make a better life for themselves and their families.

At this hostel, we folks from around the world, my age (this blew me away) that were “travelling” for 3 months, 1 year, and in some cases longer. This did not fit in the paradigm above that I mentioned. I did not even know it was possible.

I quickly learned, that my way, was not the only way. There are more options and paths in the world that we are even aware of. Leaving home on my own for the 1st time, opened my eyes to more options that are available.

For our 1st blog post, we are participating in BootsnAll’s Indie Travel Challenge. Today’s prompt is list below, and suited to our mission.
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Learning Through Travel

Long-term travel, despite some stereotypes, is not just parties and goofing off.  Long-term travel is often times a fun way to learn and give you that Boots on the ground education that is missing inside a classroom.

Whether you are on a gap year, learning what you want to do in life, on a career break learning skills to help further you professionally, or just out there learning because you enjoy learning – having a plan before you go is a great way to make sure you get the most out of your trip.

• QUESTION 1:  Have you used travel as an educational experience?  If so, where did you go and what did you do and learn?
• QUESTION 2:Tell us three places you’d like to go, what you want to learn, and why you’d like to learn it there. (Professionally?  Personally?  Another reason?)